san francisco to seattle. it will be white for tomorrow in wichita, oklahoma city, little rock and spokane. let me give you a picture about how rare this event is. this area of low pressure, it's deep and it's to the south and it's very strong. rare tornadoes. we are going to see them tomorrow. louisiana, mississippi, alabama, georgia. but the last time we had tornadoes on christmas was 2006 when we had six. the last time we had 12 was 1969, and we could see 12. not out of the question. rare snow in oklahoma city. we expect 5 to 8 inches. of the last 120 years alina we've had snow on six occasions, and that was at aleast an inch. >> wow. thank you so much. we'll check back with you later. thanks for watching cnn newsroom. newsroom international with suzanne malveaux starts right now.

i'm suzanne malveaux. this is the christmas eve edition of "cnn newsroom." for a lot of you today is last minute shopping or preparing christmas dinner or taking time with your families. while you're getting busy or ready for the celebrations, we'll keep you updated and, of course, the holiday happening here and around the world. let's get right it to it. first of all, some sad news. two firefighters are dead, two others injured after responding to a fire in upstate new york. that happened early this morning not because of the fire they were trying to put out, but police in webster, new york say they were shot. three homes burned police say for hours gunshots stopped the firefighters from putting out the fires, forced police s.w.a.t. teams to evacuate the homes in the area. just in, police say the shooter who killed the two firefighters is also dead. they say he set a trap for those firefighters. the nra is standing tough on

its opposition to new gun laws in the aftermath of the killings in newtown, connecticut. the ceo went on "meet the press" to defend his call for armed guards in every american school, but here's what a couple of front pages said about wane laperriere. one called him a gun nut and another one headlined with the crazy heest man on earth. laperriere he is not backing down. watch. >> if it's crazy to call for putting police and armed security in our school to protect our children, then call me crazy. i'll tell you what the american people -- i think the american people think it's crazy not to do it. >> there are several lawmakers who are promising to introduce new gun control legislation, and the president formed a new team to come up with ways to limit assault weapons. an idaho senator is apologizing after he was charged with driving under the investment. they arrested senator michael

crapo early yesterday after he ran a red light. he failed several field sobriety tests and his blood alcohol level was .110 well above the legal leg legal limit. he's due in court january 4th. just check out the scene there. this is across the world in india. officials are trying to call for calm here. this is after a weekend of violent demonstrations over the gang rape of a 23-year-old woman on a bus. police fired water cannonses a tear gas to break up crowds in new delhi. some want the death penalty and others want better police

protection for indians, especially women. to a pair of startling and devastating attacks in syria. it was a couple of hours ago. nine people, six of them children, were killed. this was in a raid on a bakery. that is according it to an opposition group. the attack comes a day after more than 100 folks died at another bakery. this is when planes dropped bombs as they were waiting in line for bread. we have the story, and we want to warn you that some of the these pictures are graphic. >> reporter: a voice filled with horror, a scene full of carnage. a massacre screams the man. they targeted the bakery. a bakery where hungry civilians had been standing in line to get bread. one eyewitness reached via skype described the grizzly aftermath. >> translator: from 200 meters away i could see corpses as i walked towards the bakery. the people cannot be described. bodies piled on top of each

other. it was an impossible scene. there was no word to describe it. >> reporter: he says he was one of the first on the scene filmed this video. the wounded are carried away as rebels and civilians dig up mangled corpses from the rubble. shock and grief quickly turn to anger. where are you world asks this man pointing to the destruction. come see the bodies. they were waiting for bread. activists tell cnn this town is full of anti-regime sentiment. >> translator: it was liberated a week ago, but the regime surrounded it completely cutting us off from the world, nothing was allowed in and out. even water and bread was cut off. today we obtained dough. >> reporter: they were able to open a bakery around 1:00 p.m., and the rockets struck just

hours later. as nearby hospitals quickly filled up, activists began pleading for help. >> we are joined by the reporter from beirut. this looks crazy. it looks crazy to me. do we know who is responsible for this? >> reporter: suzanne, it is absolutely horrific, and just so many grizzly details started to emerge in the hours after the attack. now, the residents in that town that we spoke with said that they believed they were targeted because that town had been liberated by the free syrian army because there's a lot of anti-regime sentiment there. they believe they were targeted deliberately by the syrian regime. syria's government, however, today posted a statement on their syrian news agency website in which they blamed this on the actions of terrorists. that's the terminology they use for rebel fighters, opposition fighters in syria. they say that that town was targeted by terrorists and that because of that residents in that town called for the

military, for the syrian military to intervene to help them to bring safety and restore security in that area. again, the residents we speak with clearly blaming the regime, and it's one day later and we hear of an attack on another bakery in the homs area. this is in the last few hours. you mentioned it a few minutes ago. we heard at least 15 killed, several children. very gruesome video. you see the corpse of a woman being pulled from the rubble there. the rage of the residents there about this happening is element indescribable. suzanne. >> is there any way of finding out? you have two very different stories. any way of finding out whether it's an international -- through an international body or people on the ground, who was responsible for bauombing this bakery? >> it's two very district and different nare he actives so far, one from the government and one from the opposition. it's interesting this is happening with a backdrop of more diplomacy happening.

the joint u.n. arab league envoy was in damascus today and talked to the president. time and again he we see these efforts be completely deadlocked and end in failure. no concrete steps have been taken that we've heard of since he was there. this is not the first bakery tarlgted. we heard of several in the past few months, and the residents fear the conflict here, this unceasing conflict where over 40,000 people are killed it will go on and spiral more and more out of control. suzanne. >> absolutely tragic situation as you had mentioned. 40,000 people killed in the 20 months since the civil war broke out in syria, and that continues. there's a new cnn poll out that shows 80% of americans, of course, are concerned about the situation, but when it comes to american intervention, more than half say the u.s. and other countries should not send military planes and missiles to help the opposition fighters set up a safety zone.

in kabul earlier today an afghan police officer shot and killed an american contractor. this was inside police headquarters. this attack comes just a day after five afghan police, they were killed by their commander who police say was a taliban infiltrator. more than 50 have been killed by inside attacks this year. barbara starr, this is one of the main concerns as you know of the police of the forces, the international forces inside of afghanistan. you've got these rouge actors that infiltrate and are a part of killing what they -- these inside killings, the green on blue and blue on blue. tell us what happened. >> there's very little information available so far, suzanne. as you said, someone in an afghan police uniform. what is so interesting about this tragic incident is it was a woman in an afghan police

uniform. whether she was a member of the afghan police or perhaps an infiltrator that stole the uniform somehow i think still remains to be determined. all of these incidents are very closely investigated by nato to try and determine what happened, how it all came to pass so they can try to prevent them in the future. as said, there have been about 50 of these so far this year, and certainly the taliban feel they've achieved a propaganda victory with them. the u.s. and nato alliance is pushing back against this problem trying to do whatever they can to stop more of these from happening. sad news today, it was a u.s. contractor who was killed. suzanne. >> i want to switch gears here, because i think we're covering and looking at the potential for someone to succeed the defense secretary. you have former republican senator chuck hagel being talked about as a possible replacement as defense secretary, but i understand there's a lot of complications here and even

controversy. can you tells what's happening in terms of background discussions of chuck hagel taking that job. >> you know, his name has been out there for a few weeks now as the sort of so-called front-runner. maybe it's a bit of an administration trial balloon at this point. we don't know. officially the white house hasn't made a decision on who at the present times to be the next secretary of defense, but they have let hagel's name be out there. that gave time for the opposition to reform. republicans and even democrats on capitol hill, his former allies coming out and being concerned about some of his positions that he took as a u.s. senator. alleging that he was not strong enough on countering iran, did not strovote for iran sanctions especially critical of his stance on israel. that he was perhaps not as supportive of israel as he should have been. chuck hagel is a present independent-minded guy. everyone who knows him will tell

you that. they also say he's a supporter of israel, and there's been a second wave if you will of support emerging for him. i think the question now is, will the administration move and nominate him? will they let this all sit out there during the holiday period and give the opposition perhaps more time to mount and have to go look for another candidate? suzanne. >> interesting. it's actually republicans coming out against chuck hagel. a lot of criticism coming from those who you think would be aligned with him, but he's kind of split and become more of a moderate if you will. thank you, barbara. appreciate it. both sides on the fiscal cliff debate finally agree on something. unfortunately, they agree that going over the fiscal cliff is now a real possibility. you got the democrats, the white house republicans. they all say it is possible they're not going to reach a deal to avoid the massive tax increases and spending cuts that will take place in just eight days brianna keeler is in

honolulu. i'm not going to tease you about hawaii being a junket, because i know it's hard work and you're doing something. >> thank you. >> absolutely. i'm a little jealous of the water and backdrop and sand. never mind. i won't hate here. tell us, are there any conversations that are going on between the president, the republicans, the democrats, anybody to aavoid the fiscal cliff? >> reporter: well, this is what may be alarming to learn, suzanne. obviously, the white house is always in concert with senate democrats. there's always an open line of communication there, but there are really no substantive discussions going on with the white house and senate democrats with republicans both in the house and the senate. that may seem troubling at this point, because obviously eyes are turning towards the senate as it is going to reconvene on thursd thursday. if this fiscal cliff is to be averted, it has to get through both the senate and house with some republican support.

so you're hearing pessimism now on both sides. take a listen to a democratic and a republican senator and how they see the prospects of maybe going over the fiscal cliff. >> i feel that it's more likely that we will go over the cliff than not. if we allow that to happen, it will be the most colossal consequence consequenceal act of congressional irresponsibility in a long time, maybe ever in american history. >> when i listen to the president, i think the president is eager to go over the cliff for political purposes. i think he sees a political victory at the bottom of the cliff. he gets all the additional tax revenue for new programs and cuts the military, which democrats have been calling for for years. gets to blame republicans for it. >> reporter: so all of this blame, suzanne, that's obviously partly public posturing. when you hear this pessimism

about maybe going over the fiscal cliff, you hear that be publicly and we hear that privately from sources. again the bail ll is now in the court of senate. senate majority leader harry reid has to cobble together something to get support from some republicans in the senate and also from the house in order to aavert this fiscal cliff. the white house right now is saying they want the threshold for the income tax rates at a quarter million dollars. that might be difficult to get republican support on that, so we'll see if that changes, suzanne. >> do we expect that the president is going to come back early from his hawaii vacation if anything happens on the senate side? clearly, he could get things done from hawaii as well, but it could be at least symbolically for him to return to washington. >> reporter: definitely. we expect that he will be heading back to washington, d.c. he was supposed to be here through the new year. i will tell you nothing is official on the schedule that he's definitely going back to

d.c., but the sense you get from the white house is that it's more an issue of when and not if. if there is a bill that goes through the senate, the president will have to be there in order to perhaps twist some arms and certainly the optics are important. if we go over the fiscal cliff, suzanne, you've covered the white house. you know the president wouldn't be in hawaii while that happens. >> hopefully you can stay in hawaii, and but you knife to come back with him. we'll see. >> reporter: i think i'd be coming back. >> that's a shame. it's a white christmas for some, and in some places it might be a problem. we're going to check the holiday forecast up next.

it's going to be a white and wild christmas in some places. this is stevens pass, washington. a stretch of highway he 2 was impassable because of heavy snow and wind. it caused major detours for holiday travelers. this is san francisco. rough surf and wind-driven rain making for some lousy christmas eve weather thanks to a second storm system hitting northern california causing major flight delays as well. millions, of course, are traveling today. how will the weather impact your travel? we'll bring in alexandre steele in the center. i'm here in d.c. without any holiday mess, but the mess is on its way, huh? >> it's coming right to the west of you guys. hi everyone. what we see is an incredible storm developing. this is a look at the current radar. this is the opening band. the main act is to the west. look at this. this is where we see delays in

atlanta's airport and through the mid-atlantic. suzanne just getting there in time. you see all wet weather heading your way, but that's not the big storm. that's not the big christmas storm. here it is farther to the west. all right. so we put this in motion and show you where it is and where it's going and who will be impacted with really some interesting and quite extreme weather. today it's the wasatch through the colorado rockies. every ski resort gets some banner snow. as we look towards it, we see christmas and look at this. a bull's eye. this is a snow sweet spot, oklahoma city, 5 to 8 inches of snow. that is extremely rare. in the last 122 years in oklahoma city they've only had snow on christmas six times, and that was about an inch. this really is dramatic. here in the southeast something really quite dramatic of a different sort, severe weather. we could see a tornado outbreak tomorrow in the deep south all the way from louisiana, mississippi, alabama, georgia. so certainly that is rare, too, in the southeast in florida and georgia, but it does look

likely. the day after christmas on wednesday it moves to the northeast, and then it moves into new england for the day on thursday. suzanne, not a lot of people will be spared. we're going to see some type of weather across the country, and all of it kind of rare and very significant. >> it looks like it's a wild weather christmas. thank you. i guess we should hunker down. appreciate it. >> just get cozy and stay in. >> that's nice. have a good holiday. weather is an aissue for millions as you out for the last-minimum miute shopping. as many as 17 million crowd into the malls today and many find good bargains. i guess procrastination might work to your advantage. alison kosik is joining us from new york. i did it last night and i found good deals. >> you procrastinate. every year we have the same conversation, suzanne. >> that's so true. >> if you're a bargain hunter,

this is the time. retailers push it off their shelves by jans especially toys. i remember reporting that toys are among the worst thing that you can buy on black friday because you wind up getting a better price later in the season. now we are later in the season. if you're looking for htoys, you'll find some bargains. people hitting the stores are really procrastinators like you, suzanne. well over half of the shoppers said, you know what? we'll just grab a gift card aas a last-minute gift. wine and liquor are popular last minute choices. 27% say they'll give out cash, and 4% an iou will have to be given this year. suzanne. >> i'm not that bad giving out ious but pretty close. >> good for you. >> she was saying the weather might impact how folks are moving around. will it have an effect on the deliveries as well? >> a little impact.

not a huge concern, but there may be delays for packaging makes it in time for christmas. fedex issued a service advisory over the weekend it expects delivery issues in iowa, michigan, wisconsin and nebraska. fedex has contingency plans in place. no service advisories on ups or postal service websites. a big part of this is shippers have had a huge increase in volume this holiday season, and that's because of a huge surge in online shopping. so, you know, all of these online sites are reporting some of their biggest single days ever, and so that means the shipping places are also feeling the effects. ups made 28 million deliveries last thursday. fedex moved 19 million packages on its busiest day. it's a busy time in the shipping business. suzanne. >> all right. have a great holiday. >> you, too. the raging debate is should we put armed guards in every american school?

in some countries it happens already. we go live to israel to see how they keep their kids safe inle school. [ female announcer ] what if the next big thing, isn't a thing at all? it's lots of things. all waking up. connecting to the global phenomenon we call the internet of everything. ♪ it's going to be amazing. and exciting. and maybe, most remarkably, not that far away. we're going to wake the world up. and watch, with eyes wide, as it gets to work.

cisco. tomorrow starts here.

it got a little attention in the campaign, but now the gun control debate is front and center again. images have struck at the heart of many americans. now lawmakers promise new regulations including laws to ban assault weapons. the national rifle association is doubling down on its stance against any new regulations. listen. >> if we're willing to debate the whole question of these semi-automatic so-called assault weapons, we debated it before. we had an assault weapons --

so-called assault weapons ban for ten years. we had what senator feinstein is suggesting. it was allowed to expire. the fbi, the justice department and others said it made no distance. >> if it's crazy to call for putting police and armed security in our school to protect our children, then call me crazy. >> while thought of having an armed guard in every school may sound foreign, it's actually normal in some countries. one place is israel which has strict gun laws. sarah schneider joins us from jerusalem. talk about what this is about here. israel is not necessarily arming the teacher, but there is an armed guard or guards in these schools. how does it work? >> reporter: generally the armed guards are outside of schools trying to protect the schools, trying to make sure no one gets in and out that shouldn't be in the schools or may pose a danger. we should talk about some of the misinformation, because i know there was a u.s. lawmaker that said that israel arms its

teachers, and that simply is not true. in fact, the gun laws here are much stricter than the united states. we need to keep in mind that here it is not a right to own a gun. that's not written into the constitution. it's a privilege to own a gun, and i want to give you some idea about numbers and how all of that looks in comparison with the u.s. you have, what, somewhere of more than 300 million people in the u.s., and about 300 million guns. in israel you have somewhere around 8 million. it's getting up to 8 million, 170,000 private individuals are allowed to carry guns. they have to take a test. they have to get a note from a doctor saying they're both psychologically and physically fit. they have to be trained. no one, no private citizen can get an assault rifle. so there's a combination of things that people say work mere, including strict gun laws and security that's tighter than many places in the world. you have to keep in mind this is a place that has dealt with

terrorist attacks many years. >> one thing that struck me in jerusalem and strikes a lot of people is you have uniformed soldiers walking the streets with weapons in their hands. it's kinld of common place. how does that make people feel in israel? do they feel safer with guns in open, plain sight? >> reporter: yeah, i think there's less of a fascination with guns, if you will, because people see them in the streets and they see the soldiers and take them home. all of soldiers take their guns home. they see groups of soldiers who are being trained in different places even when times are very, very calm. so it isn't necessarily what people think, because they come here and think, wow, israel has a huge gun culture. it seems that the opposite is indeed true. however, when it comes to the military, you have to remember that generally everyone goes to the military, men and women are expected to serve, men three years and women two years. they are trained. they are physically checked and

mentally checked. there are a lot of checks in place, checks and balances here that differ from the united states. suzanne. >> all right. very interesting, sarah. thank you. really appreciate it. it's kind of a blue christmas across much of europe. we are talking about the government's cut back on spending. instead of helping, we'll tell you how it actually spread the recession there. are everything. share "not even close." share "you owe me..." share "just right." the share everything plan. shareable data across 10 devices with unlimited talk and text. hurry in for a droid incredible 4g lte by htc for $49.99. time for citi price rewind. because your daughter really wants that pink castle thing. and you really don't want to pay more than you have to. only citi price rewind

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>> i'm saying to all of my family in trenton, njdz, i miss you all and love you all. if you missed, it's your fall. should have watched it.

bye-bye. >> thank you for your service, carl. we love you, too. if you're looking for sanity it at that, nor rad is tracking santa and his route. so far there he goes. up with the reindeer. he's spotted over india right now, right now over india. n norad claims he flies over the taj mahal first and the himalayas and bangladesh. he's going around the globe, africa and europe and to the united states. you can check in with norad.santa.org for the latests. i he hope you were nice and not naughty. looking at athe malls you wouldn't think america's economy was suffering, but there was no mistaking what was happening across europe this year. governments cut social programs to save money. it was meant to help and hurt by spreading the recession. here's richard quest in london. >> reporter: suzanne, the story of europe in 2012 was very much

the austerity, the gut-wrenching, grinding austerity. some countries like greece faced multi-year recession and slowdown, unemployment at over 25%, youth unemployment over 50%. what we saw was the recession expanding. spain, italy, the uk, all found austerity taking its toll even more as unemployment continued to rise in some of those countries. even the large country, the economic powerhouse germany found its slelf slowing down. the root cause of it all was the inability of the european governments to come to policies to get growth started again. towards the middle and end of the year they did, but the tale was style there. very much austerity again and again. perhaps if there was only one change that took place as we moved into the fall and into the

winter. it was the realization that most of these countries could take no more austerity. social welfare having been cut, health care cut, unemployment, growth virtually nonexistent. now the talk is not of more austerity, but how to get growth started again across the contine continent. suzanne. >> thank you, richard. christmas, of course, is a time of giving, but there are many struggling families in boston that couldn't aafford to get their children he anything. this year for almost six decades help kamt not in santa's sleigh but in a big, brown box. santa. i'm writing for your help. >> as with other americans, the economy is tough and times are very difficult financially. >> it's hard being homeless with nowhere it to live, no income or place to make them a christmas or buy presents. >> the holiday season is usually

very tough for our family. >> making packages for the globe santa foundation. on one side we keep all the boys' toys and on the other side girls' toys am we have 30 working today. all the packages are going out to children in the boston area where the families are, you know, facing difficult times during this economy. we'll send out about 32,000 packages. >> globe santa is the holiday gift assistance program started by "the boston globe" in 1956. we've seen a number of families that are writing to globe sanity at that for the first time because they've been unemployed. the economy over the last five years has had a major impact on how many gifts we're putting together each year and that puts the stress on the donors who we rely on. we've been able to sustain this

program. it takes a number of people who care about those in the community who can't aafford to have their holiday gifts or their presents to make sure christmas is enjoyed by all. >> we've all had tough times. this gives us a chance to give back to the community and just let them know there are people out there that care. please help my kids have a good christmas. god bless you. >> that's nice. unofficial results are in. up opposition groups fought in the streets and now they're taking their battle to court. well, if it isn't mr. margin.

mr. margin? don't be modest, bob. you found a better way to pack a bowling ball. that was ups. and who called ups? you did, bob. i just asked a question. it takes a long time to pack a bowling ball. the last guy pitched more ball packers. but you... you consulted ups. you found a better way. that's logistics. that's margin. find out what else ups knows. i'll do that. you're on a roll. that's funny. i wasn't being funny, bob. i know.

egyptians went to the polls over the week jenld, and preliminary results show that 64% voted in favor of the new constitution. egypt's leading opposition party is appealing the results of the latest votes. >> reporter: while we're expecting the official results for egypt's constitutionreferen,

the battle is over. the umbrella organization for the opposition has filed two legal challenges. the first one looks aat the irregularities they say took place during two days of voting. the second one aattacks the constitutional referendum itself when they call illegal because it does not follow the specific guidelines previously set out. we're expecting a ruling on these two cases this week. the opposition is also gearing up for parliamentary elections, which are supposed to take place within two months. in previous elections we saw the opposition unorganized and divided. this time they say they have a unified front to put as many as possible in the new parliament to change the constitution. while we see it unford, there's an economic crisis. egypt's economy is in dire straits, and the muslim brotherhood and islamic allies need you to unite with the option if they push through tough austerity measures which are fairly unpopular.

the two sides don't seem like they're going to unite anytime soon, at least not until the parliamentary election. the economy just has to wait. ian lee, cnn, cairo. in india protesters demand more protection for women. this is after a brutal rape aboard a bus. we'll talk with a woman that lived in new delhi and knows the dangers for women on public transportation. and a choice.with artn take tylenol or take aleve, the #1 recommended pain reliever by orthopedic doctors. just two aleve can keep pain away all day. back to the news. has oats that can help lower cholesterol? and it tastes good? sure does! wow. it's the honey, it makes it taste so... well, would you look at the time... what's the rush?

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[ male announcer ] when diarrhea hits, kaopectate stops it fast. powerful liquid relief speeds to the source. fast. [ male announcer ] stop the uh-oh fast with kaopectate. the violent protests over the weekend in india. there are demonstrators who came out to support a 23-year-old woman gang raped on a bus earlier in month. doctors say she's still in critical condition and needs help to breathe. i'm joined by a washington-based journalist who specializes in foreign policy. she attended a university in new delhi and has personally experienced what i understand is groping on public

transportation. tell us, first of all, what is the -- what is going on? what is happening there that you've got even over the last, you know, years or so more than a tenfold increase in the past 40 years in india of this kind of violence against women. >> it's always been the case. it's not new as such. to be a woman in india is not an easy proposition. every woman has experienced some kind of abuse on public transportation, lewd remarks on the streets if you're walking down. no matter how conservatively you're dressed, you're still, you know, open season for the men. there is just a lot of reasons why this happens. patriarchal system is one, a lack of policing is another, and general treatment of women, which is not equal to men, even

though it may be so under the law. >> you say you personally have experienced this as well. can you tell us about that. >> yes. i was a student at new delhi university and had to take the public bus every day, and you just had to be extremely careful. if the bus was crowded, people would -- men would touch you, and you had to have your elbows out all the time. you just had to be prepared and extremely aware. >> so what kind of recourse do women have there? you have all these protestors out there. they're very angry, and you have this 23-year-old who is gang raped. what can be done? >> well, first of all, we have a lot of laws. this need to be implemented better. police -- we have not enough policemen for the number of people we have on the streets, so we need more police. we need better policing, for

one, and we also need to int introspect about why women are treated that way in our society, and we need to reform ourselves also. we need to bring up our male children in a different way. >> one of the things i notice when i look at these protests here is there are men and women protesting, young men and women protesting together. do you think this is a generational thing? do some men understand the equality for women. >> there are many, many men with women in the struggle, but there are also men who including politicians who tell women to stay indoors after dark or not wear this or not go out with men in the evening. things like that. i'm very heartened by the fact that so many young students came

out to protest including lots of men. this is actually also a clash between modern india and the old india. >> a very interesting story. thank you so much for bringing your perspective and obviously a story we will follow closely to see if that is actually effective, if there is change coming from some mass protests that are occurring there. thank you once again. an economic crisis that could actually change history, and we're not even talking about the united states. we're talking about how italy's hard times could shut down some of the country's famous tourist destinations. [ female announcer ] what if the next big thing, isn't a thing at all? it's lots of things. all waking up. ♪

becoming part of the global phenomenon we call the internet of everything. ♪ trees will talk to networks will talk to scientists about climate change. cars will talk to road sensors will talk to stoplights about traffic efficiency. the ambulance will talk to patient records will talk to doctors about saving lives. it's going to be amazing. and exciting. and maybe, most remarkably, not that far away. the next big thing? we're going to wake the world up. ♪ and watch, with eyes wide, as it gets to work. ♪ cisco. tomorrow starts here.

far from vatican city archaeologists have found the home of a famous roman general. there is not enough money to do it. no one knows if it will survive italy's financial problems. ben wedeman has the story. >> reporter: in rome dig and you're likely to find something very old. for the past six years archaeologists have worked on this site north of the city. it was here that marca roman gel was buried, he was the inspiration for the character played by russell crowe in the movie, "glad yator." his character caught to keep the

bar bearians at bay in the arena. more than 1,500 years ago rome fell to the barbarians. today in this age of euro zone austerity, the stunning remains of that great empire and artifacts at this site are under threat from what some might say are barbarians of another kind, cost-cutting accountants and the budget/ing bauer row accurates. in the past two years the budget to maintain the sites has been cut by at least 20%. as a result, some sites have been closed and projects cancel canceled. the coliseum will remain open, but some ancient treasures may literally be buried. he worked for several years at the gladiator's tomb. if funds around found, it will be recovered with dirt.

>> translator: the most logical thing to do is to bury it again, she says he. it will be up to our grandchildren to decide whether that will be temporary or permanent. >> reporter: russell crowe has joined the fight to keep the site open telling an italian newspaper italy must be a leading in preserving ancient heritage. an online petition called save the gladiator's tomb has been started by an american archaeologist to raise funds and put pressure on the authorities to keep the site open. >> this is part of bigger picture, which is italy is a great country. it he lee is a leader in cultural heritage and preservation. they do great work in italy, and their experts go around the world. here's a chance to say with this site we're going to take a stand and defend this cultural heritage. >> if not, the barbarians will see to it that it's covered up once again. ben wedeman, cnn, rome.

all right. this is the final print edition of "newsweek." it hits the stands today. the cover reflects of the end of an era and the power of the digital revolution. this is a black and white photo showing the magazine's manhattan office building as part of the new york city skyline. the headline read reads #lastprintissue. ne"newsweek" is an online only publication next month. they're not your average christmas carols. we'll show you how this group is putting an irish twist on traditional songs.

i need you. i feel so alone. but you're not alone. i knew you'd come. like i could stay away. you know i can't do this without you. you'll never have to. you're always there for me. shh! i'll get you a rental car. i could also use an umbrella.

fall in love with progressive's claims service. the irish music group celtic woman came together back in 2004 for what was supposed to be a one-night show. the sound took off, and eight years later with multi-platinum albums they're releasing the

second christmas album called "home for christmas." we caught up the women during the performance the at the atlanta orchestra. >> it's very exciting to get to sort of feel our power that you have at the start of the show when the music starts, and it takes everybody on a journey. >> i think all over the world i think you know there is that sort of common thread of christmas is being with your family and celebrating being together. >> i would be happy to sing christmas music every month of every year. i love it. it's fantastic. it's he special when you get the opportunity to go into studio and record amazing songs. >> i feel a bit spoiled getting to perform christmas music. i don't know. i don't think i could feel any more festive he. >> it is an honor bringing, you know, our brand of celtic music

which is a mix of contemporary celtic traditional and classical to everybody. ♪ >> do you draw inspiration from fiddlers in genres? >> absolutely. we draw from so many vocalists and musicians. i myself love the cajun music. certainly in the beginning, there's that. it's a very cajun start to it there. the irish are fantastic storytellers, so i think that helps to bring he something to the table. the approach you take with telling the story. if you get behind the words and tell the story, i think it makes it feel real and fresh and new. ♪ noel noel

♪ o night divine >> if people can come in, leave their worries and their troubles at the door and escape from it all for two hours, we all need that. we need it ourselves. to escape from the madness that can be our day-to-day lives now, and lose yourself in music that is from the heart. it's from the soul. if people leave feeling better than when they came in, then our job is done. ♪ >> that's really sweet. i'm suzanne malveaux. this is a christmas eve edition of "cnn newsroom." let's look right here. santa with the closing bell, ringing the bell. he has a lot of work to do. he has to get on the sleigh and keep on going here. the fiscal cliff stalemate in

washington is dragging down stocking and wall street and affecting your investments. let's listen in. ♪ >> live music, christmas cheer and sanity it at thta at the ne exchange. the stops ending the day in the red. alison kosik is at the new york stock exchange. a little christmas and santa there, but a hard hit for the stock market today. what do we know? >> reporter: you're listening to chris bode, he's the jazz musician and everybody has heard his name. if you can hear me i hope. the stocks are down lower, down 51 points after a triple-digit loss on friday. this is just adding to it. it's all because of the worries about the fiscal cliff. suzanne. >> all right. let's just listen in, and i'll bring you back for a bit.

♪ >> all right. there you go. allison, i want to bring you back for a couple quick questions here. we know the stocks are down, fiscal cliff. talk about what we think that means for us if we end up going over the fiscal cliff and you're looking at a lot of tax hikes as well as spending cuts. >> yeah. you have to believe if we go over the cliff that some sort of deal will happen up. if not within the first couple days of year, maybe the first couple weeks. what may happen is an impact right away to your paychecks in the early weeks of the new year. here is an idea of what we're in for anyway. we're going to see a lot of tax changes. payroll tax holiday. that would expire, and that means that the amount taken out of your paycheck would go from 4.2% to 6.2%, so that means if you're making $50,000 a year, it means $83 a month comes out of

your paycheck. over the cliff it means you have a delay in tax refunds for the 2012 returns and that's because there's yet to be a decision made. also at stake, spending cuts. that can impact jobs. there will be big cuts to defense. that could put about 300,000 jobs at risk. unemployment benefits are cut, meaning about 2 million long-term unemployed run out of benefits. let's not forget the doctors in this. they face a 20% cut to payments for treating medicare he patients. that's a small sampling. i haven't mentioned the overall impact to the economy. company cans will continue holding off on hiring even more than now. many people believe we'll go into a reception, and the list seems to go on and on. if you want to read more about this, go to cnnmoney. it breaks it all down. they get into the numbers for you, too, suzanne. >> i want to talk more about this. thank you very much. we know the clock is ticking down and we hope the two sisd

are talking but it doesn't seem like it's happening and bloo there's a possibility of an aagreement before this happens in the new year. you have the democrats and white house and republicans, they say it's possible we're not going to reach a deal here. as alison mentioned you see massive tax increases for just about every american and spending cuts that take effect in just eight days. we'll bring in brianna keeler in honolulu. i have to imagine the president is engaged in some way, he left a plan in place that he is waiting for the republicans to respond. >> reporter: well, i don't know if that's really a safe assumption, suzanne. obviously, you have both sides very much blaming each other, but the fact is there are no substantive behind the scenes discussions going on. there weren't over the weekend, and there continues not to be the case.

the white house and senate democrats are not engaged with senate republicans and house republicans. that may be troubling when you consider it that anything to avert the fiscal cliff needs to go through the senate and the house. these two sides need to talk to work out something to agree on. that is not happening, but all eyes are turning towards the senate and because there are no discussions there are shared pessimism from democrats and rec republicans. take a listen. >> i feel it's more likely we will go over the cliff than not, and if we allow that to happen it will be the most colossal consequenceal act of congressional irresponsibility in a long time, maybe ever in american history. >> when i listen to the president, i think the president is eager to go over the cliff for political purposes. i think he sees a plolitical

victory at the bottom of the cliff. he gets to cut the military which democrats have been calling for for years. he gets to blame republicans for it. >> reporter: the blame game, suzanne, of course part of that is public posturing, but this pessimism, this is what we're hearing behind the scenes as well publicly. so consider that. meantime, the senate will reconvene on thurt and that means senate majority leader has the task to cobble something together in the senate and the white house for their part right now. they want the threshold for income tax rates to remain at a quarter million dollars. a lot of republicans and maybe democrats aren't going to like that. so it's really a big lift at this point, and going over the cliff is a real possibility. >> brianna, do we expect the president at any point to return to washington, maybe cut his vacation early if there's a

workable deal that both sides are offering? >> reporter: i think there's no doubt that that is what is going to happen. as the senate starts getting back to work, that he will head back. it's not official yet he's heading back, but the sense from white house sources is it's a matter of when, not if. if if tthe senate is trying to something out, he needs to be back in washington, obviously, to try to twist arms and lobby democrats to get on board with whatever harry reid can put together. >> all right. we expect to see you back in washington. the weather is a little colder here, so get ready. thanks, brianna. good to see you. >> reporter: i'll get ready. sad news out of new york. two firefighters are dead, two others injured after responding toe a fire in a small upstate town of webster. police say they were shot when they arrived to fight fires burning through homes. we want to bring in up poppy harlow with the latest. kind of a tragic story on

christmas eve. i understand there was at least one firefighter that escaped all of this. what do we know? >> reporter: there is. two firefighters shot were injured. they were not killed, and one of them we're told by the police chief was able it to get in hisn car and drive away from the danger to ambulances that took him to the local hospital. he's being treated along with another firefighter. as you said, a complete tragedy. christmas eve morning, 5:35 a.m., these four firefighters responding to a typical house fire call and were immediately gunned down, shot at, two killed and two severely wounded. listen to what the police chief said in the latest press conference. >> two firemen were deceased at the scene. two received serious injuries from the shots and are being treated at local hospitals at this time. the names -- we'll spell them for you after the press

conference. firem fireman fireman thomas and fireman mike chiperini, who was a lieutenant with the webster police department was deceased at the scene. >> the police chief there breaking down reading those names, obviously men he knows well and worked with for a long time. i'll give you the names of the two injured firefighters undergoing treatment. theodore scardin and joseph hoff stetter. they can both talk and are aw e awake, alert and not on a ventilator right now. >> that is so sad. do we have any idea about who this person was, this shooter and the moefk for what happened here. >> no idea on any motive. no idea who shooter was, whether

it was a male or female. the suspected shooter is dead according to the police chief. the body is found outside of that first house that caught fire. authorities say they have people in custody who have knowledge of the situation they're questioning. s.w.a.t. teams had it to evacuate 338 people from the area because it wasn't safe the flames kept blazing and four houses were engulfed there and are trying to put it out. one interesting question was asked in the latest press conference whether it was an assault rifle used. in the wake of the tragedy in newtown, the police chief said any don't know if there was one gun or more. we're waiting for an update in the next hour on that. a complete tragedy and in the wake of what happened in newtown, i was there all week last week and to come here and have it happen again, unbelievable. >> i can only imagine. poppy, thank you so much. appreciate it. in bel-air, texas near

houston a police officer and innocent bystander were shot to death this morning. bullets flew after an officer tried to carry out a routine traffic stop. the driver fled and got out and started to shoot killing the bystander. when the officer arrived the two exchanged fire. the officer was then killed. the gunman was critically hurt and police don't know what set him off. many will have to hunker down this christmas. we're talking about snow, cold, even the possibility of tornadoes in the forecast. that's up next. if you think running a restaurant is hard, try running four. fortunately we've got ink. it gives us 5x the rewards on our internet, phone charges and cable, plus at office supply stores. rewards we put right back into our business. this is the only thing we've ever wanted to do and ink helps us do it. make your mark with ink from chase.

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it will be a whis christmas. the southeast could see heavy rain and the threat of

tornadoes. snow could ruin holiday travel plans out west. the second storm to come aashore over the weekend. this is in stephens pass, washington. san francisco is still working out flight delays caused by wind-driven rain. you can see what it did to northern california as heavy surf pounded the shoreline. we'll bring in alexadrra steele. even a tornado threat you're talking about. that's rare. what are we watching? >> it is rare, suzanne. i want to show you this map. it's rare to have an isolated tornd or two, but a severe weather outbreak is the xpt for her tomorrow is more rare. here's a look. tomorrow, christmas morning, i'm going to delineate the time so you can see who will see what and when. from houston to new orleans, tomorrow morning your severe weather outbreak threat. winds 60 to 80 miles per hour, and very serious tornados and large, damaging hale. it moving in the afternoon and picks up into western florida.

from the afternoon into the evening, atlanta to birmingham. both the severe side tomorrow and a snowy side tomorrow, which is rare as well. in florida and georgia the last time we had christmas day tornadoes was in 2006, and there were six. before that in 1969, and there were 12. it looks as though the chance to see double-digit tornado not out of the question. also, some rare snow coming. oklahoma city, you've got 5 to 8 inches of snow coming for you tomorrow. in six of the last 122 years we have had snow, and that's just an inch. we see more than that. really rare, a robust storm and it's a rare one. what's happening right now in the southeast, the rain is just a band. this is the big act. here's where we will see snow tomorrow. tomorrow we see it through tonight into tomorrow from the wasatch to the colorado rockies and a boone for skiers. tomorrow night there's a severe

weather threat and the oklahoma city substantial heavy snow. from tuesday into wednesday it moves up the coast with snow and into the northeast with more snow as well, suzanne, for wednesday into thursday. so a substantial event on the severe side, and on the snowy side. and the people impacted is really great in terms of tens of millions. >> wow. that's a lot going on. all right. we should hunker down for the holidays. thank you. appreciate it. weather could also be an issue for the millions of folks headed out for last-minute shopping. as many as 17 million of us could crowd into the malls today, many might find good bargai bargains, too, proving maybe putting it off works. allis allisison kosik from new york. i'm doing last-minute shopping, but my family is doing last-minute shopping. they're out there as well. i have to put blame on them. is it a good idea or no? >> it could be, because you probably will scoop up several

bargains. retailers want to get a lot of stuff off the shelves by january, especially toys. we reported earlier in month that toys are among the worst thing to buy on black friday because you can get a better deal later in the season. now we're in later of the season and you can find a good bargain toy right about now. same with clothing, but the people hitting the stores today, suzanne, they're not bargain hunters. what they are are procrastinators and well over half of the shoppers that consumer reports surveyed said they'll grab a gift card as a last-minute gift. why battle for something more. wine and liquor are also popular last-minute choices. 27% say they'll give cash, and 4% say an iou has to do. i don't know how they do the iou. do they give a pat on the back or a card? do they write it out? what's an iou? >> sometimes you write it on you. in a couple of weeks you get your gift. i swear. i promise. that's how it works. >> yeah, right. yeah. >> yeah. what about shipping? how is shipping impacted here?

is there any weather-related shipping that's going to happen? >> there could be. it's not a huge concern, but there it may be some delays for packaging making it in time for christmas. fedex ishg ued a service advisory over the weekend says it expects delivery issue. no service advisories are on ups or postal service. a big part isn't just the weather. it's the fact there's a huge increase in volume this holiday season because there's this big surge of online shopping. all are reporting biggest single days ever. ups made 28 million deliveries in one day last thursday. fedex moved 19 million packages oits busiest day. even the postal service that so many say they don't use. it moved over 650 million pieces of mail on december 17th. suzanne. >> all right. have a great holiday. >> you, too.

switching gears now, are armed guards in schools the way to prevent another newtown massacre. the debate is raging on and the nra is doubling down now on its position. nobel laureate in economics, and one of the most cited economists in the world. professor sargent, can you tell me what cd rates will be in two years? no. if he can't, no one can. that's why ally has a raise your rate cd. ally bank. your money needs an ally. excuse me, sir i'm gonna have to ask you to power down your little word game. i think your friends will understand. oh no, it's actually my geico app...see? ...i just uh paid my bill. did you really? from the plane? yeah, i can manage my policy, get roadside assistance, pretty much access geico 24/7. sounds a little too good to be true sir. i'll believe that when pigs fly.

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massacre. the nra's ceo went on tv to defend. as barbara starr shows us, they're not backing down either. >> newtown. >> newtown. >> newtown. how many more? >> performers and artists now joining with 800 mayors calling for a plan to end gun violence. wane laperriere, the chief executive officer and public face of the national rifle association made clear on nbc's "meet the press" that his organization will oppose legislation adding new restrictions to the sale of weapons or high-capacity ammunition magazines. >> look, i know there's a media machine in this country that wants to blame guns every time something happens. i know there's an anti-second amendment industry in this town. i know there are political leaders for 20 years always say it's because americans own guns. i tell you what i think will

make people safe, and what will make moms and dads feel better. when they drop their kid off at school in january is if we have a police officer in that school, a good guy. >> as the last of the newtown massacre victims are laid to rest, the nra has taken the position that armed security officers in schools are a major part of its solution. >> i have found the statements by the nra over the last couple of days to be disheartening because the statements seem to not reflect any understanding about the slaughter of children that happened in newtown, connecticut. here's what bothered me. the nra spokespeople have dealt with every possible cause of gun violence except guns. >> we'll bring in barbara starr at the pentagon. barbara, there's outrage from a lot of folks about this. the nra came out pretty strong about arming the schools. is there any kind of middle

ground here from those who say, look, we want to stop gun violence, but there has to be a better way to protect the children? >> the nra didn't double down on what it wants, which is a focus on armed security personnel in schools. what other people say, suzanne, is, look, that's not a new idea. school districts have grappled with security for years, and some have gone this way. even in the 1999 terrible massacre at columbine high school in colorado, there was an armed security person on the school grounds at that time. it helped a little bit, but obviously, not able to stop what happened there. the people who want to see another way to go, many in congress are talking about a package of solutions. some new measures on gun control. some new measures on high-powered magazines. taking another look the at school safety. taking a look at how this country deals with with those

who are mentally ill. this package of solutions they say that the problem and we've seen it at shopping malls and theaters, they say it goes well beyond the schoolhouse door. suzanne. >> thank you. appreciate it. the question is, the little boy on your shopping list, is he getting a doll for christmas, or is the little girl he getting a truck? we're going to talk about gender and toys. and some difficult ones. but, through it all, we've persevered, supporting some of the biggest ideas in modern history. so why should our anniversary matter to you? because for 200 years, we've been helping ideas move from ambition to achievement. and the next great idea could be yours. ♪ i honestly loved smoking, and i honestly didn't think i would ever quit. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantix is proven to help people quit smoking.

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for children, you have all this marketing for toys for girls. it looks like pink. it's in pink and focuses on beauty and home making and the shelves for boys covered in blue, black, brown with boying related to building and action figures. i'm joined by liz he beth sweet. she's a researcher who wrote about in very phenomenon in the "new york times." elizabeth, i have to say it was so refreshing for me. i went shopping and i thought what is going on here? then i read the op-ed on sunday and i realized i'm not the only one and going crazy seeing this alternate universe in the stores. why do you have gender segregation here when it comes to purchasing toys. >> well, it's really interesting because, you know, we think of today's society where men and women are more similar than ever before in terms of women are occupying these, urn, roles of political and economic power.

men are doing more than ever. it's odd to see toys going in the opposite direction. one thing i think is going on is marketers have used really targeted marketing practices, and they've segmented the market into narrow realms so they find they can sell more products if they make separate versions for boys and girls. so i think that's one aspect of it. i think some people really do respond to the gender toys. >> elizabeth, tell me about this. when i was a kid, that was a real conscious backlash against this kind of gender distinction in toys, right he? you had the whole thing. my mom was a schoolteacher. the whole thing, william wants a doll and whether or not boys can play with dolls. i remember i had a little racetrack that i got for christmas when i was a little kid. how did that flip? how did that change? >> yeah, that's really interesting. when i was in the kid in the '70s we had lego blocks that

were primary colors and everybody played with them. "star wars" was not just for boys. one thing that happened in my own research, i look at toy catalog and analyze the content of sears catalog. i found in the '70s there was little gendering going on. by 1995 i started to see the separate color versions of toys happening. again, i think that was an effort to sell more product. it also embodies these really problematic stereotypes for girls' toys do as you say. often relate to beauty, nurturing and domestic. for boys they're becoming more aggressive sxri lent oriented. as they become more and more separate, then kids are, you know, should noted into these narrow aisles where they have to pick a toy and it's very hard for them to cross those aisles. >> so elizabeth, how does this translate into growth and becoming an adult here if children are limited in this

way, whether it's their creativity or how they perceive themselves. how do they get over that when they act out with toys and move on and become adults. >> that's a really great question, and that's one of the things i think is so problematic about this. when children are con strained to narrow sets of stereotypes it constrained their ideas of what they can become. researchers have found that stereotypes that girls aren't good at math for instance limit girls' actual abilities in these areas and their career as apirgss. in the same way if boys are given the message nurturing is not for them, at the don't develop that necessary skill. i think these really narrow stereotyped toys limit children in w ways that have long-he ter effects. >> as a parent giving a gift to a person, you ought to look

beyond na and give the truck to a little girl if she wants the truck or a doll to a boy. >> absolutely. >> thank you, elizabeth. appreciate it. we'll see what's under the christmas tree. thanks again. like charlie brown's scrawny little christmas tree and ralphy's longing for a bb gun, the song about the 12 days of christmas is part of a tradition. if you tried to buy those things in the catalog, sticker shock. here's richard quest. >> so you've decided to be very traditional in our christmas presents this year. you're going to buy the 12 days of christmas. you know, all the items that are in the song. well pnc bank has worked out how much tm cost and it's 5% interest. this is why it's more expensive. let's start with a partridge in a pear tree. up 11%. the cost of feed, housing,

housing and storage and pear trees raised the cost. then you have those five gold rings. you know the price of gold is very high. as a result it's up 16.3%. those gold rings are pretty pricey. so on to the living things, the six geese alaying. up nearly 13% because of storage and feed stock, the seven swans a swimming up 11.1%. what about the humans? what about the maids amilking. they're unchanged and manual labor, unskilled. once you get to the drummers drumming, it's up 5.5%. how much does it all cost? if you buy the whole the lot for 12 days of christmas, $25,431. a rise of just about 5%. now, as for the true cost,

because remember some of them you have to buy again and again, look the at that! 107,000. that's a whooping rise. don't forget if you buy it online on the internet it's more expensive because of shipping and handling. finally, the cost of buying christmas every year. just look at the way it just keeps getting more and more expensive. overall when you put the 12 days together, the 12 days of christmas, you can see it's not a cheap business. you'll keep buying again and again and again. richard quest, cnn, london. wounded veterans working through christmas as they recover from their injuries. their thoughts, though, are with the friends overseas who could not make it home for the holidays. first, if you're a homeowner, you could save hundreds on your

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now to a pair of startling and devastating attacks in sy a syria.

just a few hours ago nine people, six children were killed on a raid to a bakery. that's according to an opposition group and that's after more than 100 folks died at another bakery when planes dropped bombs as they waited in line for bread. we have the story. we want to warn you that some of the pictures are pretty graphic. >> reporter: a voice filled with horror, a scene full of carnage. a massacre screams the man. they targeted the bakery. a bakery where hungry civilians were standing in line to get bread. one eyewitness reached via skype described the grizzly aftermath. >> translator: from 200 meters away i could see corpses as i walked towards the bakery. bodies piled on top of each other. it was an impossible scene. there was no word to describe it. >> reporter: he said he was one of the first on the scene filmed

this video. the wounded are carries away as rebels and civilians dig up mangled corpses from the rubble. shock and grief quickly turn to anger. where are you, world asks this man pointing to the destruction. come see the bodies. they were waiting for bread. they tell cnn this town is fum of antiregime sentiment. >> it was liberated a week ago, but the regime surrounded it completely cutting us off from the world. nothing was allowed in and out. even water and bread were cut off. today we reached an aid organization and obtained dough. >> reporter: he said they were able it to open a bakery around 1:00 p.m., and that the rockets struck just hours later. as nearby hospitals quickly filled up, activists began pleading for help. >> we'll bring him in.

it's hard to watch this and see and harder to understand this is taking place over there. it seems absolutely crazy. who is responsible, first of all, for bombing and hitting a bakery? >> reporter: suzanne, the activists we spoke with and the eyewitnesses to it that attack that were there yesterday that we spoke with, they say it's the government responsible. they say that they were targeted deliberately because that town had been liberated, because there is a contingent of rebel brigades in the town. there's a locality of strong, anti-government sentiment there. the syrian government says today that what happened there yesterday was the work of armed terrorist groups. that's the terminology that we hear again and again from the syrian government when they're describing the opposition rebel fighters there. the syrian government went on to say, in fact, that the residents of the town called for the syrian military to intervene, to

rid the area of terrorists. the army went in there and caught and captured and killed many terrorists there. now it's secured. that's a different narrative from what we hear from the rebels and opposition activists that say that town is still under attack and they fear more attacks come in the days ahead. we must add as you mentioned there's another attack on a bakery according to activists today where they say at least 15 were killed. suzanne. >> does anybody believe what the syrian government is saying, that's a reaction to terrorist organizations? i would imagine independent groups are really looking for the truth on the ground. >> reporter: you know, we've heard more and more the last few months of attacks taking place around bakery. human rights showed 10 different attacks on bakery sites in aleppo. they said it seemed random. they said it was a systemic

targeting by the syrian regime of bakeries there because people lined up outside. some of e activists believe that the syrian government, because there are hundreds of people lining up on outside, they see them as a threat. that's why they target it. fewer and fewer people believe what the syrian government is saying. suzanne. >> all right. thank you very much. we're going to take a quick break.

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♪ >> that's south korean rapper psy and he danced his way into the record books. 1 billion hits on youtube. did he make the list of the most intriguing people of 2012 chosen by you? here's brooke baldwin. >> number 10, supreme court chief justice john roberts. >> the united states supreme court in major decision, a 5-4 position upholds the health care reform law. >> few could imagine it was cast by the chief justice himself. conservatives stunned. liberals perplexed but thrilled, forging ahead the roberts court taking on same-sex marriage. number nine. yahoo! ceo marisa meyer.

at 37, head of a major tech company, a ceo in a male dominated field pregnant. it's the baby part that became problematic, shall we say, when meyer decided it to take a couple weeks for maternity leave. the mommy blog sphere went nuts. what message did she send by not staying home longer with her baby. number eight, south korean rapper psy. ♪ note ♪ >> say what you want, his lasso-inspired dance style first discovered on youtube had everyone going gangnam, and we mean everyone. >> the lasso again and then the horseback. psy was riding high in 2012, star performer in the most watched youtube video of all-time.

number seven, republican presidential candidate mitt romney. >> this election is over, but our principles endure. >> romney ran on his impressive business credentials, but it was his multiple gaffes during the campaign that analysts say helped to seal his feat. remember the 47% comments. >> the 47% are dependent on it. >> and this one. >> binders full of women. >> number six, ex-cia director general david petraeus. >> we have breaking news now coming in regarding the chief of the cia. general david petraeus. >> general petraeus, can you talk with us please? >> the news was unexpected. the reason shocking. petraeus, a retired four-star general had quit his cia post and admitted he had cheated on his wife.

petraeus's mistress was also his biographer, paula broadwell. an embarrassing exit from the stage. >> impressive list. that is just half of them. the most intreiguing people of 2012. the top five are revealed after the break. bye dad. drive safe. k. love you. [ chirping, buzzing continues ] [ horn honks ] [ buzzing continues ] [ male announcer ] the sprint drive first app. blocks and replies to texts while you drive. we can live without the &. visit sprint.com/drive. make a wish! i wish we could lie here forever. i wish this test drive was over, so we could head back to the dealership. [ male announcer ] it's practically yours. test drive!

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today continues the countdown of those you voted for as the most intriguing people of 2012. here's the top five. >> number five, superjumper felix baumgartner. let's face it, he did what no human has ever done, diving 24 miles from the edge of space, breaking the sound barrier along the way. >> i'm still the same guy. but as soon as you start traveling, people recognize my face. >> i was scared. >> you were scared? >> i was a little bit scared. >> number four, new jersey governor chris christie. >> the shore and the boardwalk in seaside heights of my childhood no longer exists. >> governor. >> thank you for everything. >> the rough and tumble governor took charge when a superstorm named sandy ravaged his state, days before the presidential election. a romney backer suddenly

christie was standing arm and arm with the president, praising mr. obama's leadership as they toured sandy's rath. >> when you know you have a responsibility for those folks, you can give a damn about the politics of things. i could care less today. >> number three, olympian gabby douglas. >> gabby douglas! >> one of the fab five at the london games, she captured our hearts, becoming the first african-american gymnast to win gold in both the individual all around and team competitions at the same olympics. >> i wanted to inspire a nation and i love that. >> she did just that. number two, school age activist malala. malala rose to fame blogging about the brutality of her life

in pakistan under taliban rule. not yet a teenager, she dared to suggest girls not only deserve but have a right to an education. >> i would get my education if it is in home, school, or any place. >> the taliban retaliated, hunting her down, shooting her in the neck, and back. the attack outraged even hardened pakistanis, and all around the world malala quickly became an international symbol of good against evil. today, she is recovering in england. number one, president barack oba obama. >> tonight you voted for action. not politics as usual. >> after a long, and we mean long and bitter campaign, president obama won re-election. in 2012, the president also won the supreme court stamp of approval for his health care

reform program, and made history with this statement. >> i think same sex couples should be able to get married. ♪ >> as 2012 comes to a close, the president joined in grief with the community, shocked by senseless violence. >> these tragedies must end. and to end them we must change. >> brooke baldwin, cnn, atlanta. you can spot an amateur from a mile away... while going shoeless and metal-free in seconds. and you...rent from national. because only national lets you choose any car in the aisle...and go. you can even take a full-size or above, and still pay the mid-size price. now this...will work. [ male announcer ] just like you, business pro. just like you. go national. go like a pro. a body at rest tends to stay at rest... while a body in motion tends to stay in motion.

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home for the holidays. here's our barbara starr. >> push forward it opens, right? my elbow unlocks it, throw it back and that's how i maneuver. >> reporter: wounded troops in rehab at the holiday time. all christmas miracles. meet travis mills, one of the troops i visited with asking them to send holiday wishes to their buddies. >> hi, everybody. i'm staff sergeant travis mills of the 82nd airborne division. i want to wish everybody a merry christmas and happy new year, to all military forces overseas and home, and especially a shoutout to my guys in first platoon force squad, the gun show, miss you guys, merry christmas. >> reporter: eight months ago he stepped on an ied. >> we thought it was clear, but it wasn't. it took all four limbs but tonight take my life. i'm thankful for that. >> reporter: it can be a struggle just to walk again. >> bud with the u.s. navy. want to give a shoutout to my friends and family, have a good

holiday and stay safe. >> reporter: army specialist tyler jeffries lost his legs. >> i want to give a shoutout to my friends and brothers back in afghanistan, happy holidays. and i wouldn't be here without you guys. >> reporter: tyler is already getting ready for next christmas. >> i want to start walking as fast as i can because i'm in that wheelchair for, you know, hours upon hours all day. and i just want to be able to get up in my own house and get a cup out of the cupboard. >> happy holidays to my family and i got a bunch of guys getting -- from my u getting their purple hearts today. i'm thinking about you guys today. got a special place for you guys in my hearts. >> reporter: joshua says it is a good holiday season because of his buddies. >> it is. it definitely -- they're there, they're alive and they're breathing. that's good -- it is good in my eye. >> i'm sergeant adam keys, combat engineer, airborne out of ft.